Te Awamutu Cheer Addiction team's perfect score at Australian competition

Cheer Addiction's Redemption team hit a zero reduction score at the AASCF National's in Melbourne. Photo / Supplied

A local cheerleading team have recently returned from Australia's biggest cheerleading competition and with silver medals to add to their collection of awards.

Te Awamutu's Cheer Addiction took its level-two senior co-ed team Redemption to compete at the Australian All Star Cheerleading Federation (AASCF) Nationals in Melbourne that ran from November 29 to December 1.

Over 2000 teams and 12,000 athletes competed over the three days.

To make their second place even better, Redemption hit a zero reduction routine with no falls in their stunts, pyramids, jumps or during tumble and no illegal skills were performed.

"I think I can speak on behalf of Cheer Addictions coaches, athletes and families that when they called our name it was a feeling like no other."

"Everyone was over the moon, we cried, and laughed and hugged our way through the rest of the awards ceremony," said coach and owner of Cheer Addiction Kara Rowland.

Level-two senior coed cheerleading team Redemption got second place at the AASCF National's which followed recieving a national title in July at the NZCU Nationals. Photo / Supplied

Redemption is made up of 12 athletes, including two boys, and they are one of four of Cheer Addiction's elite teams.

Cheer Addiction also has six school teams across the Waipā district and many of the elite athletes also cross over as members for these teams to meaning some are training up to eight hours a week.

Since February Redemption had been training twice a day, leading up to the Australian competition they trained every second day and while in Melbourne and in the days
immediately prior to competition they were training twice a day.

In July the team competed at the New Zealand Cheer Union Nationals and received a national title.

"Redemption had set some small and big goals throughout the year and we have absolutely smashed them out of the park."

"Taking a nationals championship title and a second place in Australia's biggest cheerleading competition was an absolutely surreal feeling, one that all the athletes
worked incredibly hard for," said Kara.

Kara hopes that Cheer Addiction will be able to take a team back to the AASCF National's next year and says they also have their sights set on other international competitions.